Garrett Wilson remembers what the Jets–Patriots rivalry looked like when he arrived. Ahead of Sunday’s trip to New England, the New York Jets receiver said the first AFC East game of the season carries extra weight, and that the rookies in the locker room are about to learn why.
“When I came in, I remember the Patriots were the one that always kind of rose to the top,” Wilson said Wednesday. “It was 14 straight. We ended up breaking that a few years ago, but just knowing how much it weighs on, at the end of the season, this is what it comes down to. If you put yourself in that position and put yourself in the hunt, it’s how do you stack up with the teams you play twice a year.”
The streak was actually 15 games. The Jets ended it with a 17-3 win in the snow at Foxborough on January 7, 2024, Wilson’s second season. “The young guys, they going to get hit real soon,” he said of the stakes. “There’s a premium on this one, because it is our first one. We’re going to be ready to play. I’m excited for it.”
Christian Gonzalez: “He’s got the better of the matchup”
The likely matchup on the outside is Christian Gonzalez, who said Wednesday he is ready to return from a shoulder injury that cost him two games. Wilson did not oversell their history. “I wouldn’t even say we really had battles, you know. He’s got the better of the matchup throughout these years, for different reasons,” he said. “He’s a really good player, and every time I get to play against the top player in this league, I’m excited for the opportunity. I know him off the field. Great dude.”
He was happier about the forecast. Told it is expected to be cold but dry, Wilson said: “No rain is a big deal. Cold is all right. We play up in Jersey and all, and it is getting that time of year, but the rain, that’s a big problem.”
Four targets, then 11
Wilson was also asked about the debate over his targets after the Jets’ 23-12 loss in Chicago on October 4, when he caught three passes for 27 yards on four targets. He answered it a week later with seven catches for 104 yards and a 32-yard touchdown on 11 targets in Sunday’s 17-12 win over Cleveland. He leads the Jets with 31 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns.
He said he usually knows during the practice week whether a big target game is coming. “You know the install, so you kind of know the ideology, what’s the game plan,” Wilson said. “As someone that’s been doing it for a while now, you kind of know which weeks, but there’s always some ones that keep you on your toes. They can always do unscouted looks, throw some wrenches at you, things like that, and you got to be ready for it all as a player.”
“Give my dogs some real bullets to shoot”
Told that teammate Tim Patrick had called this the most talented offense he has been part of, Wilson took it as a challenge. “We still haven’t played our best football, and I think that’s the exciting thing about this,” he said. “He’s been a lot of spots where he’s been on high-powered offenses, teams that have played late into the postseason, so it’s definitely high praise coming from Tim. When I hear that, it’s like, all right, now we got to go back that up, give my dogs some real bullets to shoot, because he went out on a limb for us right there.”
Asked whether belief has to come before results, he agreed. “We always say you got to walk around like a champion before you are,” Wilson said. “Your daily routine every single day has got to be like you are that champion already, and all of a sudden you might see things go your way.”
Geno Smith: “Cat quickness”
Wilson said his connection with Geno Smith, who has six touchdown passes and no interceptions this season, is still being built. “Something that we’ve been just cooking and building throughout the start of this season,” he said. “For me, it’s kind of just being at my spots, knowing that he can put it anywhere. When I watch film, I get to go look at it like, how can I be better for Geno? How can I run a better route to get more separation?”
Smith, who spoke in the same session, said he will not force the ball to Wilson. “I like to say the ball goes where it goes,” he said. “Of course Garrett, he’s a guy. He’s going to get open, and as many times as we can get him the ball, we want to.” Asked what stands out up close, Smith pointed to how Wilson works even in walk-throughs. “This guy is dialed in,” he said. “Cat quickness. You can put the ball anywhere, he goes and gets it. It’s hard for guys to cover him out there.”
Wilson, the 10th overall pick in 2022, opened his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons before he was limited to seven games last year. The 2-3 Jets visit the 3-2 Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m. EDT.
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